Method and apparatus for patient-controlled medical therapeutics
First Claim
1. A patient-controlled system for dispensing medication to a patient at times determined by the patient in an in-patient setting, comprising:
- a fingerprint sensor for reading at least a portion of a fingerprint of the patient'"'"'s finger when the finger is positioned on the fingerprint sensor;
a patient activated actuation device operatively associated with the fingerprint sensor;
an encasement connected to the fingerprint sensor and the patient activated actuation device for impeding the ability for a person other than the patient to use the patient'"'"'s finger to activate the patient activated actuation device;
a microprocessor for receiving data from the fingerprint sensor, the data representing the portion of the fingerprint, and analyzing the data by comparing the fingerprint to a previously stored fingerprint to verify the patient;
a delivery device connected directly to the patient for administering a prescribed amount of the medication to the patient based on the activation of the patient activated actuation device by the patient and verification of the patient;
and a sensor for providing a signal to the microprocessor to prevent the dispensing of medication responsive to detecting that the encasement is not connected to the fingerprint sensor such that the encasement is no longer impeding the ability for a person other than the patient to use the patient'"'"'s finger to activate the patient activated actuation device.
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Abstract
An apparatus and associated methods are provided to authenticate a patient based on a biometric identifier of the patient before a prescribed dose of medical therapeutic, such as analgesics or other medication, are dispensed to the patient. Authentication takes places by pressing a button and scanning the patient'"'"'s fingerprint and recording data corresponding to the fingerprint into memory. To receive the medical therapeutic, the patient can have his or her fingerprint read and compared to the stored fingerprint. If there is a match and the programmed limitations are met (e.g., a time interval has elapsed since the last dose), then the medical therapeutic is automatically dispensed to the patient. The system may be integrated with a new patient-controlled medical therapeutic device or the system may be added to an already existing device. Other features and advantages of the example embodiments are described.
117 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A patient-controlled system for dispensing medication to a patient at times determined by the patient in an in-patient setting, comprising:
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a fingerprint sensor for reading at least a portion of a fingerprint of the patient'"'"'s finger when the finger is positioned on the fingerprint sensor;
a patient activated actuation device operatively associated with the fingerprint sensor;an encasement connected to the fingerprint sensor and the patient activated actuation device for impeding the ability for a person other than the patient to use the patient'"'"'s finger to activate the patient activated actuation device; a microprocessor for receiving data from the fingerprint sensor, the data representing the portion of the fingerprint, and analyzing the data by comparing the fingerprint to a previously stored fingerprint to verify the patient; a delivery device connected directly to the patient for administering a prescribed amount of the medication to the patient based on the activation of the patient activated actuation device by the patient and verification of the patient; and a sensor for providing a signal to the microprocessor to prevent the dispensing of medication responsive to detecting that the encasement is not connected to the fingerprint sensor such that the encasement is no longer impeding the ability for a person other than the patient to use the patient'"'"'s finger to activate the patient activated actuation device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A patient-controlled method for dispensing medication to a patient at times determined by the patient in an in-patient setting, comprising:
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reading at least a portion of a fingerprint of a finger of the patient when the finger is positioned in an encasement that requires the patient to bend the finger to activate a fingerprint sensor and that impedes the ability of a person other than the patient from using a finger of the patient to activate the fingerprint sensor; receiving a signal from an actuation device operatively associated with the fingerprint sensor when the actuation device is activated by the finger of the patient; receiving data from the fingerprint sensor, the data representing the portion of the fingerprint, and analyzing the data by comparing the fingerprint to a previously stored fingerprint to verify the patient; administering a prescribed amount of the medication directly through a device connected to the patient based on the receipt of the signal from the actuation device and verification of the patient; and declining to administer the prescribed amount of medication if the encasement is not connected to the fingerprint sensor such that the encasement no longer impedes the ability of a person other than the patient from using a finger of the patient to activate the fingerprint sensor. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A patient-controlled apparatus for dispensing pain medication to a patient at times determined by the patient in an in-patient setting, comprising:
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a fingerprint sensor with attached encasement for reading at least a portion of a fingerprint of the patient'"'"'s finger when the finger is positioned in the attached encasement connected to the fingerprint sensor that requires that the patient bend the finger to activate the fingerprint sensor and that impedes the ability of a person other than the patient from using a finger of the patient to activate the fingerprint sensor; a patient activated actuation device operatively associated with the fingerprint sensor; a device for receiving data from the fingerprint sensor, the data representing the portion of the fingerprint, and analyzing the data by comparing the fingerprint to a previously stored fingerprint to verify the patient; an electronically controlled pump for administering a prescribed amount of the pain medication intravenously to the patient upon verification and receipt of a signal from the patient activated actuation device and if outside of a programmed time interval; and a sensor for detecting when the attached encasement is not connected to the fingerprint sensor such that the attached encasement no longer impedes the ability of a person other than the patient from using a finger of the patient to activate the fingerprint sensor, and then providing a signal to the electronically controlled pump to prevent the dispensing of medication the fingerprint sensor.
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Specification